740.00119 Control (Japan)/6–2348
Mr. Frank G. Wisner, Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of State for Occupied Areas (Saltzman), to the Under Secretary of the Army (Draper)
Dear Mr. Draper: The policy paper on Japan1 which, has been discussed by our two Departments and is now before the National Security Council states in the paragraph on the Far Eastern Commission that the “U.S. Government should seek to establish as promptly as possible firm U.S. positions and then adopt an aggressive and positive attitude …”.2 Secretary Marshall has personally requested that some cure be found for present organizational ineffectiveness in the U.S. Government which has delayed the determination of U.S. positions on matters before the FEC. Consistent with this request and the provision quoted above, the Department of State is establishing administrative arrangements to give priority to consideration of matters before the FEC or under consideration for reference to the FEC. It would be appreciated if the Department of the Army could also make arrangements to give the most urgent handling to such matters in order that Governmental positions may be arrived at promptly and the intention of the policy provision be fulfilled. Mr. Claxton of this office has been designated to coordinate all governmental instructions to the FEC and it would be helpful if Army Department representatives assigned responsibility for coordinating such matters could communicate directly with him. If you will let me know whom you have designated for such purpose, Mr. Claxton will be responsible for consulting with them on FEC matters.
Since many instructions to the FEC are cleared with SCAP it is believed to be important that SCAP be informed of the efforts being made here to give FEC matters rapid handling arid requested to give those questions referred to him appropriate priority. A draft cable to this effect is enclosed for your consideration and transmission to SCAP.3
You will recall that the U.S. representative on the FEC, General McCoy, was requested to defer action in the Commission on certain important papers then before the Commission pending Mr. Kennan’s return from his conversations with General Macarthur and analysis of his report. A list of these papers is attached.3 General McCoy and his staff have deferred action on each of these papers as instructed. As you are aware, however, the other members of the FEC have become increasingly restive because of the inability of the U.S. representative [Page 825] to take (positions on matters of interest to them. For this reason it is imperative that the Government give General McCoy instructions on these papers as soon as possible.
It is the view of the Department of State that the consultations between the two Departments on the U.S. policy toward Japan, which has now been submitted to the National Security Council, have out-lined our policy position with sufficient clarity that it should be possible to go ahead with action on these papers. Therefore, as a first step toward fulfilling the policy provision referred to above, the Department of State is reviewing the U.S. position on each of the papers in the light of the general policy proposed to the NSC. It would be appreciated if the Department of the Army could also review these papers as a matter of priority in order that the earliest possible instructions may be given to General McCoy on the individual items.
Sincerely yours,